Beet-thinner.



No. 857,815. PATENTEDJUNE 25, 1907.

5 J. A. LONG.

BBET' THINNBR.

` APPLIGATIQN FILED MAR. 4, 1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

andina/woz 4 witnesses ,5f/MMM JAMES A. LONG, OF KALISPELL, MONTANA.

BEET-THINNE-e.

No. eef/,e155 i l Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. J une 25, 190'?.

Applicatin filed March 4,1902. Serial No. 860,372x

Toa/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES A. LONG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kalis-t pell, -inrthe county of Flathead, State of Montana, have inventedV certain new and useful Improvements in Beet-Thinners; and l do hereby declare the following to be aull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the saine.

This invention relates to beet thinners and more particularly to that class employing a pluralityo rotary blades.

The primary object of my invention is to provide means for regulating the height of the thinning blades and means for raising and lowering these blades clear ol the ground while turning the machine to start a new row Ameans of levers which may be operated to' raise or lower both the gage wheel and the sets of thinning blades.

'ln the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a beet thinning machine constructed in accordance with my invention, Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof, vFig. 3 is a rear elevation, .lili et is a detail vertical longitudinal sectional view therethrough, Fig. 5 a 4detail perspective view oi one oi the gage wheel beams, the gage wheel, the related beam for the thinning devices, and the said thinning devices, and, Fig. 6'is a detail perspective view of one o1 the thinning blades, and, 'Fig'. 7 is an edge of one ci the sprocket gears.y

Referring more' specifically to the drawn i os the machine is shown as comprising an slide. 1U which is journaled for rotation upon the underside of a tongue 1i and .vl'iichcarn ries at each of its ends a groundwheel l2. Rotatahly journaled in a suitable bearing 13 u on the under side ci the tongue l1 and a s ort distance below the plane occupied by the axle is a shaft le and this shaft is braced adjacent its ends by means ot arms 15- which .are connected at their ends losely.

with theaxle 10 and the shaft 14. l

V;A @plurality of gage wheel standards .16

and in order to carryout the rst mentioned connected. at their said ends with the shaft 14 and are held against lateral movement upon the. shaft by means of suitable collars 18. These standards 16 extend downwardly and rearwardly and have their rear end portions turnedV directly downwardly as at 19 and again forms a yoke 20 in which is rotatably journaled a gage wheel 21. Adjacent its down turned portion 1Q, each of they standards 16 is provided with an opening 22 and a series of openings 23 are formed through thev down turned portion of each standard. A bolt 24 is engaged through the opening 22 in each of the standards 16 and also through the extreme forward end of a standard 25 thereby ivotally connecting the said standard wit an standards 16 and engaged. through the opening 26 in the standard 25 and interchangeably through the openings- 23 in the standards 16 is a holt 27 this connection between the two beams serving as a vmeans whereby the standards 16 and 25 may be relatively positioned. The rear end of each of the standardsv 25 is turned downwardly as at 28 and is in the form ci a yoke, there being jburnaled in the arms of the yoke a shaft 29 carrying arms 3G to the outer ends I of which are. bolted or otherwise secured blades 31 which have their end edges acent their forward or cutting edges, tapered as at 32, the cutting edge' 'of each blade being indicated by the numeral 33. rlhese blades of course are so connected with the arms 3G that as the shaft 29 is rotated, the blades will chop the plants close to the ground.

Upon theanle 10 `is arranged a sprocket gear 34 which is provided upon cachot the sides with a ange which extends beyond its periphery and upon opposite ends of the chain which is engaged'over thesv rocket and which is indicated by the n urnera 36, it being understood that these flanges prevent the chain'leaving the gear. This chain. is lalso engaged over a sprocket gear 37 ci like ccnstruction which is carried by the shaft le at one endthereoi and serves as a means w' by the shaft will be rotated aluring the i, ress of the machine. Besides this gear 3? upon the shaft i4 there is arranged upon the shaft a number of other gears et like conM struction which are indicated by the numeral 38 and are equal in number to-the number of standards 16 infact these last mentioned sprocket gears are located. upon 'one side ot each yolre porti standard 1d and geared lem.

.. es@ E EEG sprocket chain 39 and. gear e0 with the 'corresponding shatty 29.

. Loosely engaged upon the axle l0 between eaeli Wheel l2 and the tongue 1l is a sleeve shaft el and upon each sleeve shaft is formed a number of arms equal to one halt the' number of standards 16 there being a chain 43 Connected with each arm at its upper end Aand at its lower end With the respective one of the standards just'inentioned. Formed upon each sleeve shaft 'at its inner end and. extending substantially in a diametrieally opposite direction to the arms 42'is an arm le to Whieh is connectedI one end of a rod Whieh leads to and is pivotallT connected to the lower end of a lever Ll@ arranged upon one side of the tongue, it being understood of course that there are two sueh levers, one belhand operated panels 42S.

driven from the aXle,-gage Wheel standards loosely connected With the shaft, gage Wheels` iournaled upon the standards, standards ad- ]ustably lconnected with the gage Wheel ssi/,ers

standards, a shaft journaled in the last mentioned standards, out-ting elements carried by vthe shafts, gear connections between the ldriven shaft and the shaft carrying the eutting elements, sleeve shafts arranged upon the axle for turning movement independent thereof, connections between the sleeve shafts and the gage Wheel standards, and means for rocking trie sleeve shaft for raising and lowering the standards.

machine of the olass dos ribed com @rising an axle mounted for rotation, a shaft driven from the axle, gage wheel. standards loosely connected with the shaft, gage wheels journaled upon the standards, standards adjustably eonneeted with the ge Wheel standards, a shalt journaled in the last nientioned standards, cutting elements carried b v the shafts, gear eonneetions between the ldriven shaft and the shaft earrving the outd ting elements, sleeve shafts arr aged upon the axle for turning' movement independentlyv thereof, arms ear 1ied by the sleeve sliaits, Connections between lthe arms and the gave Wheel standards, and means for rocking the sleeve shafts to raise and lower the standards.

ln testimony whereof, my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES A. LONG IJitnessesz ANNA Lone, H. H. HoWsLnY. 

